Have an AVI you can't delete?

[haloblack]

I've had this avi file I made sitting on my drive for days now because every time I try to delete it I get a "file in use" error.

I saw several solutions involving fake avi's and renaming jpg's and dll's, but finally I found the way to do it.

Command line.

d:erase damnedfilethatwon'tdie.avi

Worked like a charm.


Hope this helps someone else.

[RabidDog]

Also if you get a "Malformed" avi it can cause weird problems. I had one such and it sent explorer into a cpu sapping loop. (constant 98%). Had to actually BOOT into a dos window to delete it, not just cmd line.

[Ripper2860]

Read this and give it a try ...

http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc3/v31/vic31.htm

I believe it has to do with Explorer trying to read the file properties (i.e. resolution, time, etc.) It either has to scan the entire file or locks the file in the procecess and never releases the lock.

[haloblack]

Also if you get a "Malformed" avi it can cause weird problems. I had one such and it sent explorer into a cpu sapping loop.

YEEK!

Worst I ever got was a music vid that I downloaded which used a codec that I didn't have. Every time I browsed to the directory, it crashed damned near everything I had running. Took me forever to realise that the codec was the problem. This latest one had me going mental since it was something I created. I had absolutely no clue what the problem was...

[haloblack]

Read this and give it a try ...

Heh... that's the site that gave me the easy solution. You should have seen some of the other things I saw. Renaming dll's? Scary.

[Ripper2860]

I used the REG hack, as I encountered times when I could not delete from CMD prompt. Had to boot to SAFE MODE / COMMAND LINE and issue the delete. Now I can dlete away from explorer !

The REG modification has had no ill effects at all !!

And how long til SP2 !!??

[huntingtheasphyx]

Another easy way to delete them is to use another program not using explorer to browse the file system and delete it within that, ie. Winace, Winrar....

[jeex]

an even better way;

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/100406.php

[lacywest]

If it is on the drives a start up reboot disk can see ... I use Norton Commander v2.0 [I believe] with an logitech mouse driver kicking in too.

Very similar to Windows Explorer ... but in DOS mode. Allows me very easy access to everything. I have this old logitech dos mouse driver and I just type in "mouse" and the mouse driver loads.

Norton Commander has a limit on how many files it can show ... so If I know the file is there ... NC will at least get me to the folder quickly ... then I use dos commands.

There was a folder on one of my other drives I wanted ... permanetly gone but ... Norton Commander v2.0 ... wouldn't help. Start up disk wouldn't display them.

Since we are on the subject ... how do I reboot and get into DOS mode and reach deep into those other drives.

They are connected to my Maxtor IDE Card for adding on another Four ATA 133 IDE devices.

As for a video file in use ... the times I had the problem was when I was using DETAILS ... switched view to LIST and then I could delete the file.

[funkguy4]

The reason the file-lock error is showing up is because windows is constantly viewing the properties of the file (i.e.: pixel resolutoin, codecs), and when u go to properties -> summary, it tells u. But when you do the registry modification, these informatoins are no longer available! So, if you want to maintain this information, just delete the file from osme program like Kazaa, which I have had a bunch of success with! Just start kazaa and disconnect and it's like a cheap little file explorer.....without the windoze ex pee bug!

[lacywest]

Well this folder I wanted gone was created when I created a partition inside one of my 60GB drives.

I needed to quickly create some NTFS drives. But after a while I wanted to merge both of these partitions and have that 60GB drive converted to NTFS.

PartitionMagic 8 didn't want to do it gracefully ... ugh.

So it merged the partition into a folder ... wierd. I named the folder ... wierd. LOL. XP of course gave it some properties folder crap ... System information stuff.

If I could have gone into DOS mode I would zap it quickly.

Finally ... weeks later ... I messed around removing "read only" and other little attributes ... and I successfully deleted that folder.

I no longer have any of my 60GB drives partitioned. :P

[rubberman542]

I found a very simple way to delete AVI files that are "in use".

Make sure you are viewing the files in thumbnail format. Next, right click on the file you want to delete and click "Refresh Thumbnail" ... now you can delete the file. It may take a couple tries, but it works. 8)

[vhelp]

I have found at times, when a file does not delete, it's because I was working
across a LAN connection. I would capture on the LAN pc and encode from
the connection (other pc)

When my (other pc) would go cakka, I wold loose my LAN ability to delete
files. Sometines, even on the main LAN pc. I would have to resort to
shutting down the LAN pc (or both pc's) and finally, I would be able to
delete the file in quesiton :P

pretty anal nonsense though - under win98 gold.

-vhelp